Septoplasty Vs Rhinoplasty for Crooked Nose?

The vast majority of patients who have crooked noses have
suffered nasal trauma.When this
situation arises the nose should be critically evaluated. Not only should nasal aesthetics be evaluated,
but attention should be given to the nasal airway as well.Under these circumstances, the cartilaginous
nasal septum may be deviated with resultant airway obstruction.When a
patient has a crooked nose following nasal trauma, the nasal septum and nasal bones
are usually both involved. In many
cases, patients often develop a dorsal hump as well.Correction of this problem usually requires a
rhinoplasty.If significant deviation of
the nasal septum is present with associated nasal airway obstruction, a septoplasty
is necessary as well.In rare
cases, a crooked nose may be caused by a deviated nasal septum in the presence
of unaffected nasal bones.Under these
circumstances septoplasty alone may correct the problem.In
patients with post traumatic nasal deformities with associated functional
impairment, consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon is
appropriate.It’s appropriate to address
both aesthetic and functional concerns.

Thank you for your question. Septoplasty is a
surgical procedure which generally entails modification of the cartilage of the
nasal septum. It is undertaken to improve symptomatic nasal airway obstruction
when deviation or crookedness of the septum is judged to contribute to those
symptoms. In most cases, septoplasty will not improve a crooked nose. If you
find your nasal appearance to be unsatisfactory due the crookedness, you may be
a candidate for rhinoplasty. If you find your nose overly large, rhinoplasty
may be considered to diminish nasal size. Rhinoplasty is undertaken to improve
the shape and/or size of the nose, and is usually required to improve nasal
crookedness. For individualized advice, consult with a qualified nasal surgeon
about your concerns. Good luck to you.

A septoplasty is reshaping of the cartilage of the nose, while a rhinoplasty is reshaping of the nose itself.  There are definite gray areas where a septoplasty and rhinoplasty can overlap, however, in general a septoplasty affects breathing while a rhinoplasty affects external shape.

If the desire is to create the straightest nose possible, often a septoplasty is combined with a rhinoplasty.  A deviated nose may have a deviated septum which likely needs to be addressed to help straighten your nose.  However, there are other components which can lead to a deviated nose including the nasal tip, nasal bones, etc.  This would be separate from a septoplasty and be considered a rhinoplasty procedure.